China by Edward Rutherfurd (latest novels to read TXT) 📗

her a third time, she kept it to herself and did not burden Second Son. And she was glad she did, for the panic wore off, and Mother was just as kind to her as ever.

As the time approached, she was getting very big and her back hurt, and she was really looking forward to getting the pregnancy over with. But Mother warned her: “The first baby’s often a bit late.”

Mr. Lung had to go over to the local town on business, and he took Second Son with him. They set out in their cart at noon on one day, and promised to be back before noon the day after.

—

It was in the middle of the night that the terrible cramps began. They made her moan, then cry out.

Then the door opened and Mother entered, carrying a lighted candle. “What is it, Daughter?”

“I do not know. I have cramps. They’re so bad.”

The older woman came over, placed the candle on a table close by, made her lie still, and examined her. Then without a word, she went to the door and called for Willow. A couple of moments later, she heard Mother’s voice. “Go and fetch the midwife. Tell her to come. Now!”

—

They were kind to her. The midwife gave her an herbal brew to lessen the pain. Her mother-in-law was in the room constantly, reassuring her, soothing her. Again and again Mei-Ling asked her: “Is it true, do you swear that Second Son will be back in the morning?”

“I promise, little one,” Mother said, her hard, broad face surprisingly tender.

If only she could be sure. She wanted her husband to be there more than anything in the world. If Second Son was there, everything would be all right. For she was sure it was a girl now. She didn’t know how, but she was sure.

Dawn came and she was still in labor. Despite all the pain, she had only one desire: to delay the birth. Could she hold out until noon?

Every few minutes she’d cry out to the midwife, “Is he here? Has my husband come?” To which the puzzled midwife could only reply: “He’ll be here soon enough, I daresay.” And then: “Don’t be silly, child. The baby wants to come out now. Take a breath now…Again…Push…”

“No!”

“The girl’s quite mad,” she heard the midwife say to Mother. And she wondered, did Mother guess why she wanted Second Son to be there?

But nature will take its course. Just as the sun was coming over the horizon, her child was born. She saw the little being in the midwife’s hands. Moments later, to her horror, she saw the baby in Mother’s arms.

And then, to her surprise, her mother-in-law came to her side, her face wreathed in smiles. “Just as I told you, Daughter. We have a little boy.”

—

There were many customs to follow after a Chinese birth. Mei-Ling wouldn’t be allowed out of the house for a month. She mustn’t wash her hair. Or her hands or feet or face. She had nothing to do, really. Her mother-in-law would do everything, including tending to the baby if he woke in the night.

One duty, about an hour after the baby was born, was to breastfeed him. Again, Mother was at her side. As she took the baby and put it to her breast, she was surprised when nothing happened. “Did I do something wrong?” she asked.

“No. Be patient.” Mother smiled. “It took your husband a moment or two to work it out when he was born. There now. He’s got it.”

Mei-Ling’s mother arrived around noon with baby clothes and towels. It was the custom. They were not of high quality, naturally, but her mother-in-law received them as politely as if they had been from the royal court. Mei-Ling was grateful for that.

There was only one time of sadness during that day. Just after noon, Willow came in to see her. She did not look angry, only depressed. “Aren’t you the lucky one?” she said. “You had a boy.”

“You’ll have a boy next time,” said Mei-Ling.

“Perhaps.” She paused. “I don’t hate you. I really don’t. I envy you, but I don’t hate you.” She gazed at the baby, who was asleep. “I hate your baby, though.”

“Don’t hate my baby, Sister,” Mei-Ling cried. “Hate me, if you must, but don’t hate my baby.”

Willow took a long breath, sighed, and shook her head. “How?”

Second Son arrived an hour later. Mother brought him into the room. He was smiling at her, just exactly the way he had been smiling in his sleep. As he inspected the baby, his smile turned into a huge grin.

◦

Sometimes it seemed to John Trader that he was not destined to find any peace in this world. He’d known peace of a kind on Macao, briefly, thanks to Read and Marissa. But if he hoped to steal happiness from China, the Celestial Kingdom was not willing to be cheated for his sake. And now the implacable Commissioner Lin was going to kick him out of Macao, and even perhaps out of the China seas.

Two days after the encounter with Cecil Whiteparish, he heard from Tully Odstock that the Chinese had cut off all food supplies to Macao from the mainland. “We can manage for a while,” said Tully. But a few days later came more ominous news. “Lin’s moving a lot of soldiers down the coast towards us,” Tully told him. “Daresay it’s just a show of force.”

Was this all a retaliation for Elliot’s refusal to hand over any sailors to his justice? Had he got wind of Matheson’s latest opium smuggling—thanks to Whiteparish’s outburst in front of Shi-Rong, perhaps? Trader didn’t know. But whatever the cause, one thing was clear.

“Lin doesn’t trust us, and he wants the upper hand,” he said. “The question is, how far is he prepared to go?”

Macao, after all, still had a Portuguese governor, who was free to rule the place. The governor had some troops as well.

But people were getting nervous.